I would like to pre-program some lighting sequences to go along with various videos. Any suggestions for software that could play back video and lighting cues (over either DMX or MIDI)? [more inside]
posted by catkins
on Nov 21, 2016 -
3 answers

This is sort of silly but we have this old IKEA lamp that has stopped working and I'd love to scour eBay for another only 1) it doesn't have the made up Scandinaviesque name anywhere on it and 2) every one of the million search strings I have tried has turned up nøthing. [more inside]
posted by Smearcase
on Nov 18, 2016 -
4 answers

Looking for recommendations of LED worksite / construction lighting. The halogens are too hot, break when jostled, &c.
I'm wary of the cheap LED brands out there. Premature failure due to poor design and driver electronics can make using LEDs a false economy.
Willing to convert LED floodlights if you have recommendations for those.
posted by Glomar response
on Oct 2, 2016 -
4 answers

I bought some cheap solar pathway lights and some decorative solar lanterns. They provide next to zero light, for about three hours. Then they really provide zero light. Also, about 80% of them turn on at all on a given day, though they all turn on *sometimes*.
It's a shady area, so I know they aren't charging as much as they might if I lived elsewhere, but might higher quality solar lights be better and brighter, or is this just how they work?
posted by OrangeVelour
on Sep 19, 2016 -
11 answers

It's time for us to replace a lot of iPhone cables in the house and car that are of various lengths. The current ones became twisty and tears are starting appear in them. I'm hoping to find some cables in 3, 6 and 10 feet lengths that I don't have to replace every year. Or is that an impossible dream?
posted by Brandon Blatcher
on Sep 7, 2016 -
13 answers

In this interview with Julia Louis Dreyfus, she talks about how the TV show Veep moved its filming location from Baltimore to Los Angeles. Halfway through, she says, "We never shot anything exterior during the day in California to stand in for the East Coast because the light is so different there." Having recently moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles myself, I'm curious - what does she mean?
posted by facehugger
on Sep 6, 2016 -
20 answers

We're upgrading a room in our house, and I'd like to install "tunable white" LED lighting, where you can not only dim it but change it between warm white and bright, sunlight-type white over the course of the day. But we don't want to hook our lights up to the wifi or use our phones to control them! This is more challenging than I'd expected. [more inside]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault
on Aug 31, 2016 -
7 answers

My significant other likes taking pictures of her creations in the kitchen, and she'd like to branch out into video.I have a DSLR, but am unsure how to approach the lighting setup. [more inside]
posted by cacofonie
on Aug 9, 2016 -
6 answers

My bedroom is roughly 12' x 10', pictured here. There are only 2 50W bullet lights, kind of like these and pictured as circles on the diagram, and there is no electrical box in the ceiling and no way to install anything else (rental, thick concrete walls and ceilings, asbestos). It is dim AF. Please help. [more inside]
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet
on Jul 24, 2016 -
11 answers

I purchased this Wall Sconce cover in Morocco. It unfortunately does not come with a lamp base. What are my options for hardwiring something to the wall that can then be covered by this sconce? [more inside]
posted by Karaage
on Jun 13, 2016 -
4 answers

I have 4 sets of cabinets in my kitchen with under-cabinet lighting, and each light is controlled by its own switch (on the light). We rarely turn them on because you have to walk all around the kitchen. Are there lights I can replace them with that are hard-wired and can all be turned on from a single location, without running new electrical to connect them to a new in-wall switch?
posted by chriswarren
on May 25, 2016 -
11 answers

When replacing the burned out bulbs in one of the ceiling fixtures in our staircase I noticed that the disc of insulation inside the fixture had singed/burned through above both bulbs - here's a picture: http://imgur.com/UT5PgLf Yikes! 2 questions:
[more inside]
posted by blu_stocking
on May 22, 2016 -
5 answers

My flat has (allegedly) asbestos ceilings and we are not supposed to put new holes in the ceiling. Both fixtures in the kitchen/dining area are ugly and dim. Please hope. [more inside]
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet
on Mar 21, 2016 -
12 answers

Our finished basement has a very low ceiling with widely-spaced overhead can fixtures, causing a lot of dark areas. I've tried a few different LED and fluorescent bulbs, but none of them produce enough light and/or they have too narrow of a beam angle. [more inside]
posted by exogenous
on Mar 4, 2016 -
5 answers

Lamps. Incandescent vs LED. Bulb wattage. ...Lumens? "Layering" light. Filtering natural light. I can decorate an apartment, but I still can't figure out how to arrange the lighting so that it's both purposeful and warm. What tactics, strategies and core concepts do I need to make my rental apartment a home that is well-lit, yet still cozy? [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings
on Jan 24, 2016 -
8 answers

We moved into our little one-story house in Toronto a few months ago and one thing that came up on the home inspection was that our pot lights are not covered by vapour boots. Since then, I spoke to an insulation guy about upgrading the insulation in the attic and he suggested that instead of putting in vapour boots, switching all the pot lights to LED would be more affordable/easier; he suggested replacing the halogens with LEDs as they burnt out.
Well, one bulb has burned out. I'm confused about the replacement choices. [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte
on Jan 23, 2016 -
8 answers

I can't see any laser pods for sale on eBay, or on any gadget websites.
What happened ? How / where can I find ways to get one ? They were popular a few years ago!!!!
posted by flexiverse
on Nov 30, 2015 -
2 answers

There's very little lighting in my apartment's living room. It's pitch black outside by the time I get home from work these days, and I'd like to add some lighting to brighten things up. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted by Alterscape
on Nov 22, 2015 -
8 answers

We're nearly done remodelling our bathroom. All that's left is a fixture to go over the vanity. We have this idea we'd like a four bulb fixture (maybe three) with Edison bulbs. But everything else we've got is chrome and we aren't finding a match. Ideas? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown
on Nov 15, 2015 -
10 answers

The main "accent" wall in my living room is wallpapered in natural grasscloth (this one). I installed overhead dimmable recessed lighting but want to add two wall sconces on that wall. Is it safe to cover them in the same wallpaper (using a transparent adhesive) so they blend in during the day and softly glow at night? Are there any affordable sconces that would be particularly suitable for this application? [more inside]
posted by halogen
on Oct 1, 2015 -
4 answers

I do a lot of online video conferencing from a home office. I’m looking for desktop light fixtures that create a video image that makes me appear to be a good guy, as opposed to someone you want to avoid at all costs.
The lighting is good during daytime hours, but at night I look creepy. I need to find lights that provide even, gentle, and warm illumination. [more inside]
posted by elf27
on Jul 29, 2015 -
5 answers

I've read and been confused by many other AskMe's about this, so here is all I want to know: What bulb can I go out and get at Home Depot or Lowes, for under $20, that is a full-spectrum fluorescent that will fit into your standard ~24" housing? This is for a bird kept inside. [more inside]
posted by fiercecupcake
on Apr 23, 2015 -
4 answers

What's the best place to go to see, learn about and purchase professional quality video production and sound studio equipment in San Francisco? Things like quality cameras, production lighting, studio quality microphones, etc... [more inside]
posted by shmegegge
on Apr 13, 2015 -
3 answers

I'm looking for a simple solution for lighting up a few pieces of artwork in my home office. In the long run I plan to install ceiling-mounted lighting for this, but until that's done, I'd like to find a reasonable solution. What I'm thinking of is a floor standing lamp with multiple adjustable spotlight heads. Something like this but with 2 or 3 heads instead of 1. Unfortunately I have been unable to find anything along those lines. [more inside]
posted by primethyme
on Mar 21, 2015 -
4 answers

I like this sconce (with the plain white shade) from Schoolhouse Electric but am wondering if there might be others available that are more affordable and/or that I might like even more. [more inside]
posted by contraption
on Feb 28, 2015 -
6 answers

My living room in my new apartment doesn't have windows, and right now it feels like a cave. I would appreciate suggestions for light fixtures/bulbs or other ways to light it so that it feels like it is lit with natural sunlight. [more inside]
posted by tokaidanshi
on Feb 20, 2015 -
17 answers

I've just bought a lovely new house, and I'll need to rewire the 2nd and 3rd floors and replace the mains, at the very least. Might as well move up to a 200A breaker box, while I'm at it. And I'd like to automate as much as possible, but for multiple reasons I dislike/distrust wireless systems. X10 questions after the fold... [more inside]
posted by IAmBroom
on Jan 19, 2015 -
10 answers

I've been wearing makeup more regularly than before, but I can't seem to get my foundation to look consistent from my home (where I apply it) to work/elsewhere. I think this is because the lighting in my house is mostly incandescent and at work it's fluorescent.
What techniques (or technology, do I need a lighted mirror?) can I use to make my makeup look decent at work? [more inside]
posted by modesty.blaise
on Jan 18, 2015 -
7 answers

Our office building is in the process of switching over to all-LED lighting. Our recessed can lights were recently swapped and it's causing a lot of grief- will we just get used to it over time or can I buy some warming filters that won't melt or look like yellow/orange/red dots all over our ceiling? I have only found theatrical lighting sources online so far. Help!
posted by Lilbetty19
on Nov 7, 2014 -
9 answers

A bar I visited the other day had old-school Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and I noticed that in several of them, the filament was vibrating. And by vibrating I mean vibrating big time — swinging back and forth a full inch or so inside the bulb multiple times a second. The bartender didn't seem to know what caused it, but seemed to think it wasn't uncommon. Any idea? [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront
on Oct 27, 2014 -
6 answers

I replaced a ceiling light in a 1950's-wired apartment. There are insulated black and neutral wires, but no ground connection (fixture has ground wire but just connected it to mounting bar). If wired backwards, what happens when I flip the switch? When I touch the fixture while power and/or switch are on? [more inside]
posted by ArgyleGargoyle
on Oct 21, 2014 -
10 answers

Clueless new homeowners here. After a shower and a use of the toilet upstairs, water started dripping through a screw on the track lighting in the kitchen. It started maybe 10 minutes afterwards and lasted maybe 10 minutes, maybe a cup or so of water total, then stopped. What happened? What do we do now? Call a plumber, presumably, but how urgent? An electrician too? Is there danger because of the light fixture? [more inside]
posted by EmilyClimbs
on Oct 19, 2014 -
7 answers

The company I work for wants to take pictures of flooring samples (artificial surfaces that look almost identical to wood). They want 4-5 boards roughly 4 ft x 8 in laid flat and then photographed. [more inside]
posted by lattiboy
on Oct 14, 2014 -
3 answers

I really like this chandelier. Buy-able versions I have found are way out of my budget, but the designer posted instructions for a similar DIY version. I live in a rented apartment in NYC - are there legal/insurance/safety issues I need to be concerned about? [more inside]
posted by Sakura3210
on Oct 12, 2014 -
16 answers

After studying a lot of lighting tutorials, I've settled on some form of 3 point lighting to illuminate the subject (me!) as I cook. The problem is that my kitchen is connected to my very dark, cavernous living room, and so the space tends to swallow up any lights I use. Can you give me pointers on lighting this space, and help me to purchase more lights (if necessary) to adequately light my kitchen? [more inside]
posted by sunnychef88
on Sep 14, 2014 -
8 answers

New York Magazine had a short piece the other day about some street photographers in NYC who post some jaw-dropping stuff on Instagram. I've really been enjoying following their feeds --- so now I'm wondering, what about the other great cities of the world? NYC can't have a monopoly on cool cityscapes. Can y'all hook me up with some other great Instagram accounts to follow? From Paris to Lagos to Phnom Penh, I'm interested. [more inside]
posted by maggiepolitt
on Aug 25, 2014 -
4 answers

This week I watched a Doctor Who episode from the Russell T. Davies era with David Tennant as Doctor 10. I cut my teeth on the Matt Smith episodes, so I always find the older episodes so different in terms of production quality. But what am I seeing, exactly? What were the technical changes in production between the two series? [more inside]
posted by fremen
on Aug 22, 2014 -
5 answers

Watching A period piece film and wondering if, before gas and electric lighting, having a roomful of candles ever really illuminated things as much as they appear here or were all large rooms of the time like spotily-lit caverns after dark? [more inside]
posted by Senor Cardgage
on Jul 28, 2014 -
17 answers

I work at a small company that wants to get into producing short video clips. I have been asked to figure out a basic lighting setup for filming individual people talking to the camera in front of a green screen. What do I need to know about video lighting? [more inside]
posted by philosophygeek
on May 24, 2014 -
4 answers

I need to take an outdoor photograph of a subject standing in front of a large, white, shiny background (a vehicle). The person and the vehicle are equally important elements in the picture. I need to take the photo when both the subject and the vehicle are available, so I have no control over the date or time or weather. Assuming I need to do this on a bight, sunny day (although I'm hoping for a slightly overcast one) where do I position them relative to the sun? [more inside]
posted by sardonyx
on Apr 22, 2014 -
13 answers

Just purchased a ceiling fan that allows for 2 60W lightbulbs with a candelabra base in a closed glass dome. Need something brighter as this will be the only light source in the room. Having trouble finding small CFLs or LEDs with a candelabra base in 18W (equivalent 75W incandescent) or higher that will fit in the dome.
Any ideas on where to find these kind of bulbs, or if they even exist? If not, any other ideas on how to keep the fan and to safely add some wattage? [more inside]
posted by steve.wdc
on Mar 21, 2014 -
7 answers

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